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Course: Middle school biology - NGSS > Unit 8
Lesson 3: Evidence of evolution: anatomyEvidence of evolution: anatomy
Google ClassroomReview your understanding of anatomical evidence of evolution in this free article aligned to NGSS standards.
Key points
- Scientists use information from the present day to determine past evolutionary relationships.
- For example, scientists often compare the anatomical, or physical, features of modern organisms. By doing this, they can form hypotheses about how species are related through evolution.
- Species often share anatomical features. Some shared features, such as complex bone structures, were likely inherited from a common ancestor. Shared features resulting from common ancestry are called homologous features.
- Studying homologous features can help scientists figure out how closely related different species are.
- Species that share more homologous features are likely more closely related.
- Species that share fewer homologous features are likely less closely related.
- Some shared features may seem to be homologous, but they actually evolved independently along different evolutionary lineages. These are called analogous features. Analogous features typically look similar or carry out the same function.
- Scientists can also compare the anatomical features of modern organisms to those in fossils. This can tell scientists about how species evolved over time.
Want to join the conversation?
so we basically evolved from birds?(7 votes)
No, but humans and birds do have common ancestors. It’s a bit like asking if your sibling must be your parent because you look alike. Your sibling isn’t your parent, but you have some similar features because both of you descended from the same people (your parents).
Birds and humans are more like very, very distant cousins. In fact, our last common ancestor existed over 250 million years ago, according to the article “The Origin and Diversification of Birds” by Stephen L Brusatte and others, published in Current Biology in 2015.
Does that help?(30 votes)
is evolution really real(12 votes)- Evolution is supported by evidence and observations of the physical world. Watching these videos in the “evidence of evolution” series can help explain how the theory is supported. Scientists constantly test evolution’s predictions, just like they do with other theories!(19 votes)
i think evolution is suspicous(8 votes)- what if humans turn back in to monkeys(6 votes)
Thats quite unlikely to happen(7 votes)
- How did we find out about evolution?(5 votes)
That’s a good question! I think the simplest answer is that we have observed changes is species over time, and also have found fossils that clearly are different than what we are seeing today. Also we have observed generations of animals and have seen changes over time. It’s pretty exciting actually! That’s the simplest answer but also an answer with information. Hope this helps :)(9 votes)
- If we were related to apes is that why I like bananas so much.(6 votes)
- Humans are biologically a type of ape.(4 votes)
- is evolution a thing that will always have to happen(4 votes)
- Evolution happens for all living things and viruses, as long as some individuals have a better chance of reproducing than others.
Evolution does also happen to humans too, though we might not notice it on our time scales.(10 votes)
- how did they make so much change how could it be possible to make a land creature to an amphibian(4 votes)
When an animal has move from the environment they live in, their species adapts to the new way of life.
For instance, the first ancestor of whales were mesonychids, which were 4 legged, long tailed furry mammals that lived on land. They discovered it was easier and also safer to catch fish than it was to hunt on land; eventually evolving into whales.(6 votes)
We are actually less than 50% human!(3 votes)- Do you mean that, by mass, any human's body is less than 50% made up of human cells (as opposed to the microorganisms which live in us)?(6 votes)
